Data processing systems and methods

Abstract

This invention generally relates to data processing systems and methods, more particularly to computer systems and related methods for defining unified work flow processors which rely on data and/or services provided by a plurality of disparate underlying systems. A method of constructing a data processing operation, the data processing operation utilising data and/or services provided by a plurality of existing underlying systems, the method comprising: constructing a set of superobjects, a said superobject comprising an aggregation of data and/or services made available by said underlying systems and providing a common interface to said systems; and assembling a plurality of said superobjects to define a workflow for said data processing operation, said workflow comprising a group of linked superobjects defining a processing sequence for the superobjects of said group, to thereby construct said operation.

1 . A method of constructing a data processing operation, the data processing operation utilising data and/or services provided by a plurality of existing underlying systems, the method comprising: 
 constructing a set of superobjects, a said superobject comprising an aggregation of data and/or services made available by said underlying systems and providing a common interface to said systems; and    assembling a plurality of said superobjects to define a workflow for said data processing operation, said workflow comprising a group of linked superobjects defining a processing sequence for the superobjects of said group, to thereby construct said operation.    
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least one said superobject has a plurality of states, and associated state identification data, and wherein said assembling comprises creating a plurality of links between said at least one said superobject and one or more other superobjects, one link for each said state, or creating a selected link between said at least one said superobject and one or more other superobjects for a selected said state.  
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said state identification data is formatted as an XML data subtype having a plurality of switches to identify said plurality of states.  
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said assembling includes providing a graphical user interface for a user to select said superobjects and define said workflow.  
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said assembling includes providing a graphical user interface for a user to select said superobjects and define said workflow; and wherein said graphical user interface is configured to provide graphical icons for said superobjects, an icon for said at least one superobject with a plurality of states having a plurality of links, one for each said state.  
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said workflow includes reading data from one or more of said underlying systems, operating on said data using services of a plurality of said underlying systems defined by means of a single said superobject, and outputting a result.  
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising storing said set of superobjects in memory and performing said data processing operation on said stored superobjects.  
   
   
       8 . A method of constructing a data processing operation comprising a query, the data processing operation utilising data and/or services provided by a plurality of existing underlying systems, the method comprising: 
 constructing a set of superobjects, a said superobject comprising an aggregation of data and/or services made available by said underlying systems and providing a common interface to said systems; and    constructing a said query to act on said set of superobjects to thereby query information from two or more of said underlying systems.    
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  further comprising storing said set of superobjects in memory and performing said data processing operation on said stored superobjects.  
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said data processing operation is embodied in a data structure, and wherein said constructing comprises defining said data structure.  
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said data processing operation is embodied in a data structure, and wherein said constructing comprises defining said data structure.  
   
   
       12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein said data structure comprises one or more markup language documents, or XML documents.  
   
   
       13 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein a said common interface comprises a markup language, or XML, schema.  
   
   
       14 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein a said superobject comprises a service superobject, wherein said aggregated services comprise web services, and wherein said common interface is configured as a web service resource.  
   
   
       15 . A method as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said superobjects include at least a data read superobject, a process superobject, and a data output superobject.  
   
   
       16 . A business application development platform having a graphical user interface (GUI), said interface comprising: 
 a viewing module configured to allow a user to view a set of operations available on a plurality of existing computer systems:    a business application development module configured to allow said user to graphically select and place said operations into said business application; and    an output module to output said business application as one or more markup language documents.    
   
   
       17 . A business application development platform as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said application development module is configured to display a plurality of icons corresponding to operations of said set of operations, and in which at least one said icon has a plurality of links for connecting said icon to other icons, each link corresponding to a state of an operation associated with the icon after execution of the operation.  
   
   
       18 . A business application development platform as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said markup language comprises XML.  
   
   
       19 . A business application development platform as claimed in claimed in  claim 16  further comprising a translation module configured to create a translation template for translating between data and/or a service provided by one of said existing computer systems and an internal interface schema used by said business application for interconnecting said operations.  
   
   
       20 . A business application development platform as claimed in  claim 19  wherein two or more of said existing computer systems provide substantially the same data and/or service in different formats; and wherein said translation module is configured for resolving said same data and/or service of said two or more systems to a single common format.